– The Coast Guard remains “Always Ready” to preserve and protect our coasts and northern waters. As more ships and people move through the Arctic, the Coast Guard will be there to ensure safe navigation and preserve our national sovereignty, as it always has, said Commander Stephen Adler , commanding officer of U.S. Coast Guard Ship Stratton.

USCGC Stratton returned earlier this month to its homeport of Alameda, Calif., after a 97-day multi-mission mission in the Arctic and Bering Sea.

In August, the cutter and crew departed Alameda to demonstrate US sovereignty in US Arctic waters, provide search and rescue capabilities in the region, as well as meet with communities in Alaska. This is according to a press release from the US Coast Guard.

First joint patrol

During the deployment, the ship operated several times along the US-Russian maritime border, from the Diomede Islands to above the Arctic Circle. The patrol took place in the American arctic zone.

In September, Stratton and the Coast Guard Kimball became the first National Security Cutters class ships. who jointly patrolled the US-Russian border north of the Arctic Circle.

The operational goal was to protect U.S. sovereign rights and promote international maritime standards through the Coast Guard’s presence and influence in the increasingly strategic and competitive region, the Coast Guard writes.

Stratton also patrolled the Canada-US maritime border in the Beaufort Sea, demonstrating a presence in remote Arctic regions.